Alexander Shelley and Pacific Symphony Reignite Beethoven’s Fifth
REVIEW: The orchestra’s music director-designate made the old seem new, leading accomplished performances.
May 2, 2025
World Premiere ‘End of the World!’ is an Intensely Personal Flight of Fancy
REVIEW: At SCR, Keiko Green’s delightful dramedy interlocks one man’s terminal illness with global issues.
April 14, 2025
St.Clair and Pacific Symphony Shine Up Wagner’s ‘Rheingold’
REVIEW: Strong singing cast and imaginative semi-staged production bring the opera to life.
April 11, 2025
Protests and Tchaikovsky with the Israel Philharmonic in O.C.
REVIEW: The performance, which also included Jewish-themed music by Bruch and Bernstein, was a mixed bag but proceeded without a hitch.
March 28, 2025
Something for Everyone at the Orange County Museum of Art – Including an Umbrella?
REVIEW: There’s a sense of things nearly getting out of control in Sun Yu-Xin’s latest body of work, and that seems appropriate for these times.
March 21, 2025
Vienna Philharmonic Brings Distinctive Sound to Beethoven and Strauss
REVIEW: Yefim Bronfman shines as soloist, Nézet-Séguin almost makes ‘Ein Heldenleben’ work.
March 10, 2025
London Symphony Shows its Stuff in Mahler
REVIEW: Newly appointed chief conductor sweated the details with Mahler; pianist Yunchan Lim balanced chops and restraint with Rachmaninoff.
February 21, 2025
Electric Company Theatre’s ‘White Rabbit Red Rabbit’ Surprises with its Unrehearsed Spontaneity
REVIEW: With a new actor performing every night, each show sparks with hesitations, discomforts and vulnerabilities.
February 14, 2025
SCR World Premiere Paints A New Portrait of Joan Rivers
REVIEW: Tessa Auberjonois’ uncanny, tour-de-force realization of the icon elevates Daniel Goldstein’s script.
November 4, 2024
London Philharmonic Provides Luxury Tchaikovsky but is Outshone by Soloist
REVIEW: Violinist Patricia Kopatchinskaja put on a show with Shostakovich.
October 14, 2024
St.Clair Opens His 35th Pacific Symphony Season with Nostalgic Agenda
REVIEW: Duplicating his first program, he all but admits it’s his final season.
September 27, 2024
Just How Great is Great Park Live?
We assess Irvine’s shiny new “temporary” amphitheater during a recent Pacific Symphony performance.
August 7, 2024
